Biodiversity and Wildlife Habitat Assessment with Overlay of Lands Managed for Conservation

Open Space and Conservation Lands

Agriculture Lands Assessment - Overall Assessment

The Conservation Planning Tool statewide datasets are available for download. Use of these data require Geographic Information System (GIS) software and expertise, and the datasets must be downloaded and saved to your computer. ...Read More

The CPT assessments are used by local and state governments, regional councils of governments, conservation organizations, and the state's trust funds to inform planning and decision-making for land use, conservation, watershed, parks and recreation, and transportation projects. ...Read More

The combination of long-range planning and the preservation of high-value natural resources is a particularly effective way to ensure continued prosperity and health of North Carolina's ecosystems and citizens. ...Read More

Mission

The North Carolina Conservation Planning Tool provides a valuable means for synthesizing and sharing the priorities of the state's conservation agencies and organizations with planners in government and the private sector to inform decisions and guide conservation efforts statewide.

The North Carolina Conservation Planning Tool (CPT) provides maps that integrate information from multiple sources. Four maps are provided:

The data and maps included in the assessments can be used independently or in combination. By coordinating assessment data, various users can identify lands that provide multiple resource priorities.

This comprehensive planning tool is used by local and state governments, regional planning organizations, and non-profit organizations to inform decisions about conservation and other land use planning efforts in North Carolina. By showing a relative order of conservation significance, these data can assist with conservation funding decisions and support cost-effective investments.

A report provides more information about the data used in the development of the Conservation Planning Tool. Access to data and maps is available here.